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Brotherhood of Shinsei
The Brotherhood of Shinsei was a religious organization that governed and oversaw the thousands of temples, shrines and monasteries of Rokugan. It was named after Shinsei, the monk who led the Seven Thunders to victory over Fu Leng at the dawn of the Empire. Devoted to the study of the Tao of Shinsei, the worship of the kami no michi and the pursuit of enlightenment, the Brotherhood was the pre-eminent spiritual body in the Empire. History Origin Those who had personally met Shinsei were moved by his words and continued his work. Shrines, libraries, and temples that had already been independently erected in honour of Shinsei, were put to use by Shinsei's successors in hopes of helping each person to achieve enlightenment. Over time, these successors became known as his brothers and sisters and the appellation "Brotherhood of Shinsei" was adopted and widely accepted. Way of the Open Hand, p. 23 Organization By the end of Hantei Genji's reign, the Brotherhood of Shinsei had attainted its basic organizational form, a network of temples, shrines, and monasteries scattered across the Empire, all staffed by monks pursuing lives of ascetic self-denial, intense spiritual focus, and scholarly study. Secrets of the Empire, p. 156 The Brotherhood of Shinsei remained vigilant against any False Paths, and when a sect fell, was held a Great Convocation declaring the doctrine heretical and expelling those who would not give it up. Secrets of the Empire, p. 178 Fudoism The Brotherhood chased the followers of the heretical prophet Fudo whose teachings were recorded in the Writings of Fudo. Flyer: Seeds of Decay In the 4th century the Fudoists secretely found refuge under the wing of the pacifist Asahina family. Shadow of Disgrace, by Shawn Carman Gozoku In 428 during the first Gozoku the Emperor Hantei Kusada requested the Brotherhood of Shinsei to became the Agents of the Hantei, Imperial Histories, pp. 47-48 spying on the Gozoku consortium. The leader of the Anshin sect, Bunrakuken, agreed to assist the Hantei, putting aside their beliefs. Seven months later, four Anshin monks were apprehended while spying on the Crane Clan Champion and executed. Bunrakuken felt betrayed when the Emperor did nothing to save them, and his entire sect fell into heresy. Way of the Shadowlands, pp. 43-44 The martyrdom pious monks and the subsequent burning of three monasteries caused the common people to turn against the conspiracy, helping to the fall of the Gozoku time later. The Brotherhood saw this era as a dark spot in its history due to its involvement in the sordid world of politics. Heresy of the Five Rings In the 6th century the religious beliefs of the famous monk Gorinno were the foundations of a religious movement which would be known as the Heresy of the Five Rings. Ultimately, only by a narrow margin was the Empire able to avert a plunge into full-fledged civil war. Imperial Histories 2, p. 84 Great Famine In the 7th century, during the Great Famine, a retired Lion Clan Champion, actually the monk Rojin, led a large peasant uprising. When the People's Legion was defeated, the vindictive Emperor Hantei XX imposed harsh new restrictions on the peasants of the Empire, extending some of these to the Brotherhood. These laws were later rescinded by Hantei XXII, who was nursed by a monk who saved his life. Secrets of the Empire, pp. 157-158 Clan War For one thousand years, the Brotherhood began preparing for the next Day of Thunder. During the Clan War Yogo Junzo sought to slay Shinsei's descendant and numerous Shinseist temples were razed to the ground. In time, the Hooded Ronin revealed himself and defeated Fu Leng in the Second Day of Thunder alongside the Seven Thunders. War Against the Shadow During the War Against Shadow the Brotherhood lent its wisdom and power to the might of the Great Clans. Takao, Head of the Brotherhood of Shinsei defeated Lord Moon's avatar becoming the Master of Five. Purge of Fudoism In the 12th century the Fudoism emerged in the Colonies, to fight those touched with the madness spread by the mad dragon P'an Ku. The Fudoists destroyed entire villages in order to make sure the area was cleansed from madness. Coils of Madness: Design, by Bryan Reese Once the Fudoists were revealed to the Empire, monasteries and hidden strongholds of the Fudo cult were sought out and put to the torch by the Rokugani. Purge of Fudoism (Aftermath flavor) Influenced by the Kolat Conspiracy The former Yasuki Daimyo Yasuki Jinn-Kuen was appointed as the Head of the Brotherhood of Shinsei. He was also Master Coin, and placed the Brotherhood under the direct influence of the Kolat conspiracy. Dread Tidings, Part 3, by Shawn Carman The Head Abbot used the Brotherhood to follow his secret agenda, such as to seed discord among the Great Clans. Letters to the Clans – November 2014 Rise of Jigoku The Dragon Clan foresaw the rise of Jigoku and that the Empire would be ruled by the Spider Clan. To avoid the destruction of the Tao of Shinsei teachings they severed themselves from the Empire. In 1200 all Dragon were moved north of Last Step Castle alongside with those Tonbo and monks of the Brotherhood of Shinsei who decided to follow them. The Dragon Wall was magically built with no gate, no door, stretching to the top of the mountainsides, from the high base of Morning Frost Castle to the other side of the pass. Dragon Returns to the Sky, by Robert Denton III Philosophy The monks of the Brotherhood sought understanding and harmony, and through that path, some among their number discovered enlightenment. Rulebook Story, (Test of Enlightenment) Vows Shinseism was a religion with no dogma and relatively few inherent strictures for its practitioners. The Book of Duties listed the responsibilities of Shinseist monks, but each sect interpreted the Tao's instructions differently, with the vows of one sect differing wildly from the next. All sects adhered to the Four Vows, which were considered central to a monk's duties: to save all living beings, to eliminate defilements, to learn Shinsei's teachings, and to seek enlightenment. Way of the Open Hand, pp. 13-14 Sects The Brotherhood was not a single cohesive whole, but instead consisted of numerous sects and orders. Traditionally, the Four Temples of Kyuden Seppun acted as the "voice" of the Brotherhood of Shinsei when it acted as one or was represented in the courts. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 251 The Brotherhood's primary goals were to foster spiritual enlightenment and cultural improvements, and the monks eschewed materialism or politics. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 8 Largest Sects The largest sects of the Brotherhood were the Lotus, Questioners, Shintao, Sohei, Yamabushi and Shinmaki. Masters of Magic, pp. 126-130 Fudoism A monk severed from the Brotherhood for his heretic thoughts, Fudo, Limbs of Fudo (Promotional flavor) created his own sect, the Fudoism, which became popular in the Colonies during the Age of Conquest. Gen Con 2012 Announcement It led to heated discussions among certain sects as to what the Brotherhood's response should be. Brotherhood Schism (Seeds of Decay flavor) Details Monk Schools Monk schools were very different from traditional samurai schools. The schools were usually a network of temples or a specific temple where the monk received induction into the monastic life. * The Four Temples * The Shrine of the Seven Thunders * The Temple of Kaimetsu-uo * The Temple of Osano-Wo * The Temples of the Thousand Fortunes Other Notable Orders * The Order of Resolution Scenes from the Empire IV * The Order of Strength, devoted to Bishamon Times of Treachery, by Shawn Carman * The Order of Heroes, devoted to Goemon * The Order of Rebirth, devoted to Tsukune Way of the Shugenja, p. 76 Members of the Brotherhood See Members of the Brotherhood of Shinsei for a listing of notable monks. See Leaders of the Brotherhood of Shinsei for a listing of the notable leaders throughout time. External Links * The Brotherhood's Abbey (Siege: Clan War) Category:Brotherhood of Shinsei